Brown Rice vs. Couscous

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Cooked Couscous


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked brown rice versus cooked couscous (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and couscous:

  • Both couscous and brown rice are high in calories.
  • Brown rice has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown rice and couscous is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Brown Rice src
Image of Couscous src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both couscous and brown rice are high in calories. Couscous is very similar to couscous for calories - couscous has 112 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to couscous for carbs. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for couscous, 14:85:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Rice Couscous
Protein 9% 14%
Carbohydrates 84% 85%
Fat 7% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - couscous has 0.1g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - couscous has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both couscous and brown rice are low in saturated fat - couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin E

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Brown rice has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both brown rice and couscous contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and folate.

Brown Rice Couscous
Thiamin 0.178 MG 0.063 MG
Riboflavin 0.069 MG 0.027 MG
Niacin 2.561 MG 0.983 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.371 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.051 MG
Folate 9 UG 15 UG

Minerals

calcium

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of calcium - couscous has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of iron - couscous has 0.38mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

potassium

Couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of potassium - couscous has 58mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, brown rice has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Couscous
alpha linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.003 G
Total 0.011 G 0.003 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, brown rice has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Couscous
other omega 6 0.004 G ~
linoleic acid 0.355 G 0.06 G
Total 0.359 G 0.06 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Brown Rice or Couscous .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) .

Cooked Brown Rice g

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does couscous or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both couscous and brown rice are high in calories. Couscous is quite similar to couscous for calories - couscous has 112 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.

Does couscous or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, couscous and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.